INDUCING ADAPTIVE COPING SELF-STATEMENTS IN CHILDREN WITH LEARNING-DISABILITIES THROUGH SELF-INSTRUCTION TRAINING

This study investigated the efficacy of a coping strategy in reducing math anxiety in children with learning disabilities (LD). The coping s trategy was based on cognitive behavior modification (CBM). Twenty chi ldren from Grades 4 to 7 participated in the study. Half of them were children with LD and the remaining were normally achieving children. T he dependent measures were self-talk data and performance data on math (fraction) problems. Pretest data indicated that normally achieving c hildren produced substantially more positive self-talk than children w ith learning disabilities. Subsequent to training in the use of the CB M-based coping strategy, children with LD produced a comparable amount of positive self-talk at posttest as found in normally achieving chil dren. Moreover there was a moderate, positive correlation between incr eased positive self-talk and math performance among the children with LD. The results clearly indicated that the children with LD had learne d to cope with their math anxiety via a CBM-based strategy. More gener ally, the results of the study suggest that CBM strategies can be effe ctively applied to the affective domain. This broader implication and the limitations of the study are discussed.